1
as in to keep (to)
to give steadfast support to
continued to cling to the old ideas of child rearing long after they had gone out of fashion
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to grip
to have or keep in one's hands
clung to a pole in the subway car to keep from falling as it lurched along
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cling (to)
Verb
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International headlines often paint Haiti as a nation gripped by crisis — from political unrest and economic hardship to uncertainty about the future and unruly crime.—
Footwear News,
Footwear News,
12 Sep. 2025 -
However, with vaccination rates slipping and anti-vaccine misinformation and views gripping the country, health experts fear seeing more of these devastating cases.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Despite getting the and-one call, Stewart fell to the court, clutching at her knee.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
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Selah, whom Hill shares with Rohan Marley, the son of the late, legendary Jamaican singer-songwriter Bob Marley, paired a navy blue blazer with a bright yellow feathery clutch purse and yellow shoes to match.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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And then there’s Eros, also known as Cupid, who flies away with his little buttocks clenched at the least hint of a rational process.—
James Parker,
The Atlantic,
9 Sep. 2025
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Yang Guoliang said, his hands clenched in fists.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Tesla spent years defending, ultimately successfully, its 2016 acquisition of Solar City, Musk’s struggling clean-energy company.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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Acosta defended the deal with Epstein in a news conference four days after the multi-millionaire's arrest.—
James Hill,
ABC News,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Lift the wiper arms gently and make sure they're held firmly in place.—
Keenan Thompson,
USA Today,
18 Sep. 2025
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And the timing of Williams’ recent improvement may represent a good sign for the Yankees, who are still holding onto a glimmer of hope of winning the AL East while attempting to secure the first wild-card spot and homefield advantage.—
Larry Fleisher,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Plus, grab knife sets and a nifty electric can opener to streamline your cooking.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
16 Sep. 2025
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As Jey checked on Jimmy, LA Knight grabbed the steel chair and teased hitting Jey Uso.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Public pressure campaign Schools that stand by their employees face a barrage of threats from lawmakers and commenters alike.—
Cate Charron,
IndyStar,
17 Sep. 2025
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In the hearing today, the two stood by their previous comments and provided more details.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
17 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Cling (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cling%20%28to%29. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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